Dilectio
by L. Dora Willows
Summary: Ron gets desperate and decides to make a love potion for Hermione. He did everything correctly, yet it doesn't work. Why? RW x HG. Ch4 in progress. Ch3 posted Hermione makes a discovery. [On permanent hiatus... sorry!]
1. Chapter 1

**DILECTIO**

**Author's Note:** **Dilectio is another word for 'love' in Latin. At least that's what my Latin dictionary tells me…**

Ron Weasley was desperate. He had been trying to get Hermione to notice him in the way he noticed her for years. If it had worked, well then _he_ hadn't noticed.

So Ron Weasley did something very stupid, as all desperate people tend to do.

He decided to make a love potion.

"Okay, let's see," Ron whispered, huddled away in the back of the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts library, hurriedly scribbling out the directions and ingredients for the Dilectio potion. It was not quite as strong or effective as Amortentia, but it was simpler to make.

_Stir three times, and let simmer. Please note that the potion has its limits, and will not work if the person which you are giving it to has abnormally feelings of hatred towards you, or if –_

Ron looked up from his writing. Were those footsteps he heard?

Not wanting to be caught, Ron hastily shoved his parchment and quill into his book-bag, and made a swift exit from the library, heading toward Gryffindor tower.

As quietly as he could, Ron crept into the dormitory that he shared with his fellow Gryffindor boys, and opened Harry's trunk. It creaked as the lid opened, and he looked around nervously, but it seemed no one had heard.

Ron reached into the depths of the trunk and pulled out Harry's invisibility cloak. He wrapped it around himself and left, headed in the direction of the dungeons.

Once in Snape's private store cupboard, Ron started gathering the supplies he needed to make the potion. It took him all of ten minutes to find what he needed. After finally grabbing the last ingredient, he was ready.

A week ago, when the plan had first begun to form in his mind, he had hidden a spare cauldron in one of the stalls of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, so he headed to the second floor.

He had been working on his potion for twenty minutes when he was interrupted by none other than Moaning Myrtle herself.

"Hello," she said, "are you here to visit me? I haven't had a visitor in so long. Where's Harry? Why isn't he with you?" she blushed, hints of silver tingeing her cheeks.

"Sod off, Myrtle," Ron said, stirring his potion for the third time.

"Oh, right," she sniffed, "I'd forgotten. You're the rude one who always laughs at me!" She howled and plunged back into her toilet.

Rolling his eyes, Ron scooped up the potion in a small glass vial and put a cork on top. It was ready.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter Two_

"Hey, Hermione," said Ron, "want some butterbeer?"

She gave him an odd look.

"I suppose so," she replied, and took the bottle he handed to her, leaning her head back to take a long sip.

Ron watched her with baited breath.

She sighed, and smacked her lips.

"Thanks, Ron."

"You're welcome," he said, watching her.

"What?" she asked curiously, tilting her head to one side.

"Huh?"

"You were staring. Do I have something stuck in my teeth?" she asked.

"Er…no…" Ron said. Any minute now she'd be falling into his arms and professing her undying love for him.

Yeah, any minute now…

An hour later, when they were finishing breakfast, Ron still had yet to see the results of the love potion.

"Want to go for a walk?" Hermione offered. "We've still got thirty minutes before class starts."

"Yeah, alright," Ron responded distractedly, and they headed out of the Great Hall and toward the grounds.

They walked along in silence for several minutes, until Ron finally lost his patience.

"Why isn't it working?" he shouted angrily.

"Why isn't what working?" Hermione asked confusedly.

"The love potion I slipped you at breakfast," Ron said despairingly.

"Ron Weasley," said Hermione in a dangerously soft voice, her eyes narrowing, "you...slipped…me…a…love…potion?" With each word, she jabbed him in the chest with her wand. "How _dare_ you!" she fumed. "You know such potions are banned at Hogwarts – I could get you expelled! I suppose I did something to anger you, and you're going to make me fall in love with Malfoy or someone for revenge. Is that right?"

"What?" Ron laughed, "No, no, Hermione, I would _never_ do anything as terrible as making you fall for Malfoy."

"Alright, then, who was I to fall in love with?"

"Er…" said Ron. He couldn't exactly tell her the love potion was made for her to fall in love with him, because he'd have to explain _why_ he wanted her to fall in love with him, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to do that.

"Ron," said Hermione angrily, "I'll be a lot less angry with you if you just tell me the truth. Because if I find out you lied to me, I will never speak to you again. Is that understood?" she asked, her eyes flashing with anger.

Ron closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. This was not good.

"Alright, alright," he said, taking a deep breath, "you were meant to fall for…"

"Yes? Who? Out with it, Ron!"

"Me."


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter Three_

Hermione stared at him in shock.

"Y-you?" she stammered.

"Yeah," said Ron, "but the potion didn't work. I wonder…" he trailed off, as realization hit him.

"You hate me," he said dazedly.

"What?" Hermione exclaimed.

"Yeah, that's right." Ron pulled the scrap of parchment he had copied the potions instructions on from his pocket. "It says, _please note that the potion has its limits, and will not work if the person which you are giving it to has abnormally feelings of hatred towards you_! You hate me, Hermione. How could you hate me when I never did anything but lo—" he stopped abruptly, not meeting her eyes.

"Ron," Hermione said slowly, "you great prat. Did you or did you not read the entire potion recipe?"

"Huh?"

Hermione sighed, impatiently brushing her bushy brown hair out of her eyes. "The recipe," she repeated, "did you read the whole thing?"

Ron raised his eyebrows. "Why?" he asked. "Was it … er… important, if I say, _hypothetically_ didn't?"

"Ron," Hermione said, narrowing her eyebrows, "first can you explain why you'd make _me_ a love potion for you?"

Ron's ears flamed. So this was it. The moment of truth.

"I might…maybe…kind of…sort of…really…love you…" he said, feeling his insides squirm with his confession.

Hermione's gaze softened with his words.

"I see," she said, her face glowing with – was it happiness?

"D'youlimebk?" Ron asked in a great rush.

"I…well…what?"

"I said, do—you—like—me—back?"

"If you can reread the potion recipe – the _whole _–thing – you'll know the answer, Ron."

Ron, his heart still pounding from his confession, dashed back into the castle to find the book from which he had copied the potion.


End file.
